You can keep your “chunky soup;” I’ll take a homemade stew any day. And Vegetable Stew is about as chunky as it gets. Loaded with everything from stew standards like carrots, celery and potatoes, to veggie VIPs like mushrooms, leeks and beans, this hearty vegan stew definitely eats like a meal.
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When I say stew, you say…? Beef. Of course you did. Because that’s what everyone says when you think of stew. So while our natural culinary instincts may not run towards stew without meat, I guarantee you won’t be asking “Where’s the beef?” after a bowl of this hearty veggie-forward vegan stew.
While vegetable soup is about as ubiquitous as beef stew, it definitely doesn’t inspire the same stick-to-your-ribs joy. Vegetable stew, on the other hand, is all about that gravy. Whether thickened by addition, reduction, or a combination of the two, a good stew should boil (or more accurately, simmer) down to its chunks. And this winter vegetable stew has those in spades, even without the beef.
The most beautiful thing about this dish is that it eats like a stew, but without the meat it doesn’t feel like a stew after. Super hearty, not super heavy. With plenty of veggie variations, this vegan vegetable stew is a winner when it comes to using up what you have on hand.
Watch: Vegan Stew Recipe Video
How to Make Vegetable Stew
Like all good stew recipes, time is your best tool when making Hearty Vegan Stew. Fortunately for us, this vegetable stew recipe takes about half the time to cook than stew with meat. Though it features winter vegetable stew favorites like leeks, mushroom, and potatoes, it freezes beautifully for when your insides need a warm hug year-round.
- Sautee the mushrooms in olive oil. Cook until they release their liquid and turn crisp and golden brown along the edges, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Saute onion and leek until soft. Add the garlic, then work tomato paste into the cooked vegetables.
- Deglaze the pot with coconut aminos – be sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom (they’re full of flavor!).
- Add potatoes, carrots, and celery to the pot, along with vegetable stock. Season with Italian herbs, salt and pepper, then add fresh thyme and a bay leaf.
- Simmer until the potatoes and carrots are cooked through.
- Add canned white beans (including the canning liquid!) to the stew along with the sautéed mushrooms.
- Thicken the stew with a corn starch slurry.
- Simmer a few minutes more, until the beans and mushrooms are warmed through and the stew is thick.
- Always taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
Tips for Making This Recipe Perfectly
- A good stew takes time. Be patient when sautéing the mushrooms – wait for them to fully release their liquids; they’ll turn soft, and then they’ll get golden brown and crispy all along the edges. Crisp golden edges = lots and lots of flavor, both in the mushrooms and in the residual bits they leave behind in the pot.
- Large chunks of vegetables. Cut the potatoes, carrots, and celery into larger, but still bite-sized, pieces.
- Don’t discard the canning liquid from the beans! Use it to thicken your vegetable stew – it contains a ton of starch that enhances both the flavor and consistency of the stew gravy.
How to Thicken Vegan Stew
This vegan vegetable stew recipe relies on cornstarch slurry as a thickener. In combination with the starch from the canning liquid in the beans, the cornstarch creates a thicker gravy that isn’t heavy when added at the end. It also keeps this hearty winter stew vegan and gluten free.
You can also thicken with flour for a more substantial gravy. To do so, you’ll need to alter the recipe slightly:
- Sprinkle 3 tablespoons flour over the alliums after step 3.
- Add half a cup of broth to the pot, then stir until the flour dissolves. The mixture will look very thick.
- Proceed with step 4 as directed.
- Skip the cornstarch slurry in step 6.
Storing and Freezing
Leftovers: store leftover vegan stew in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30 second intervals or in a pot over medium heat until warmed through.
The stew will thicken considerably after chilling, as starch from the potatoes will leach into the gravy. You may want to add a splash of water or vegetable broth to thin it out.
Freezer: cool, then transfer vegetable stew to a freezer-friendly container and freeze up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat in a pot over medium heat until warmed through.
If making for the purpose of freezing, omit the cornstarch slurry and add the slurry when reheating after the stew comes to a simmer.
Make It Your Way
- Go gluten free: the umami edge in most stew recipes comes from Worcestershire sauce, which typically contains anchovies or fish sauce (i.e. not vegan). If you’re keeping it gluten free, substitute coconut aminos or gluten free tamari for soy sauce. (I give the nod to coconut aminos for being slightly closer to Worcestershire in flavor.)
- Use your favorite mushrooms: white (“button”) mushrooms or chopped portobellos are a great substitute in this vegan mushroom stew. The same rules apply – be patient sautéing, and wait for crisp, golden brown edges before removing.
- Change up your beans: this doesn’t have to be a white bean stew. Feel free to sub red kidney beans, chickpeas, or black beans – their canning liquid also thickens and adds flavor.
Stew for Days
- Cajun Lentil Stew
- Slow Cooker Beef and Butternut Squash Stew
- Classic Dutch Oven Beef Stew
- Red Wine Beef Stew
- Butternut Squash Ragout
Did you make this Vegetable Stew recipe? I’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Recipe
Hearty Vegetable Stew (Vegan)
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Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 lb crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 large sweet onion, diced to ½”
- 1 large leek, halved and sliced into ½” moons
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos, or soy sauce or gluten free tamari
- 12 oz yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 2” chunks
- 3 large carrots, skins peeled, sliced into ½” coins
- 3 stalks celery, sliced into ½” coins
- 1 quart vegetable stock
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp sea or kosher salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, bundled with kitchen twine
- 1 15.5-oz can white beans, undrained
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat. Add 3 tbsp olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the mushrooms, toss to coat in the fat and saute until the mushrooms release their water content and are golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside onto a plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and allow to heat. Add the onions and leeks and toss to coat in the fat. Saute, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5-6 minutes. Add garlic; saute, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Add the tomato paste and work into the vegetables. Deglaze the pot with the coconut aminos, stirring up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot, until the liquid stops bubbling, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery, then the vegetable stock. Add the italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and give everything a good stir. Top with the bay leaf and thyme.
- Increase the heat to high and bring the liquid to a simmer. Reduce to maintain a steady simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender and can easily be pierced with the tip of a knife, 15-20 minutes.
- Add the beans and their canning liquid to the pot, along with the sauteed mushrooms. Combine the cornstarch with 1 tbsp water to create a slurry. Pour the slurry into the stew.
- Simmer 10 minutes, or until the beans are warmed through and the soup is thick. Portion into bowls, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Sprinkle 3 tablespoons flour over the vegetables after deglazing in step 3.
- Add half a cup of broth to the pot, then stir until the flour dissolves. The mixture will look very thick.
- Proceed with step 4 as directed.
- Skip the cornstarch slurry in step 6.
RSagana
So yummy! Didn’t miss the meat at all!